- Published on
Blackout
A voice -
Once upon a time…
The crowd erupts into
Rapturous applause
Lights up
The host, Mo Rocca, walks onto the stage
He says he is
Excited
Well, excited and scared
The full house
Responds with
Appreciative laughter
Sondheim and Lapine are welcomed to the stage
The audience is on their feet
Cheering with
An ecstatic roar
Conversational banter
The who, what, why, and how
Into the Woods came to be
The Baker and his Wife
Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason
Are like a married couple
Charming and funny
They have a genuine affection for each other
How many times have I heard their voices?
Seen their images on my screen?
And there they are on stage
Singing
“No More” and “It Takes Two”
Kim Crosby appears
“On the Steps of the Palace”
Still as bright and clear as 26 years ago
The prince arrives,
Robert Westenberg
Cinderella’s real-life love
“Hello Little Girl”
Wonderfully humorous
Danielle Ferland
Little Red Riding Hood
All grown up and wearing a red dress
“I Know Things Now”
Ben Wright
Also grown, now a father of four
Nails “Giants in the Sky”
We hear behind the scenes stories
And audition anecdotes
Joanna Gleason talks of walking into the room
She hadn’t been on Broadway in 10 years
She had one song with her, a ballad
There was Lapine. And there was “Zeus.”
They asked if she had an uptempo number
She offered to sing the ballad faster.
Act 1 closes with
“Any Moment” and
“Moment in the Woods”
Mo Rocca warns us it will all fall apart in the second act
Laughter. Lights up.
The audience chatters loudly.
Act 2 opens with
Bernadette Peters
She has not aged a single bit
Perhaps she really did drink a magic potion
But she hasn’t lost her powers
The rap, complete with witch’s prosthetic nose, is
Perfect
Through
“Stay With Me”
We are captivated
And not going anywhere
You can hear a pin drop
But for the piano and
Bernadette’s voice
She is utterly, utterly divine
More banter
Sondheim is (it seems almost redundant to say it, because, OBVIOUSLY he is)
Incredibly articulate
And funny
The camaraderie of the cast
Warmth and love
Appreciation that they were a part of this magical creation
I wonder if this all would have been possible if they had never filmed the original production?
Listen up musical producers! Film your shows and give them a life time well beyond the original run!
“Your Fault/Last Midnight”
Bernadette’s final note is astonishing
“Children Will Listen”
I know I’m not the only one crying
The finale.
Another standing ovation
What an extraordinary event
So special to see these wonderful people gathered
In celebration of art
And music
And story-telling
The joy of nostalgia
The wonder of my childhood being accessible
And on my doorstep
I love being in New York
And living a life
Made of these moments.
A voice -
Once upon a time…
The crowd erupts into
Rapturous applause
Lights up
The host, Mo Rocca, walks onto the stage
He says he is
Excited
Well, excited and scared
The full house
Responds with
Appreciative laughter
Sondheim and Lapine are welcomed to the stage
The audience is on their feet
Cheering with
An ecstatic roar
Conversational banter
The who, what, why, and how
Into the Woods came to be
The Baker and his Wife
Chip Zien and Joanna Gleason
Are like a married couple
Charming and funny
They have a genuine affection for each other
How many times have I heard their voices?
Seen their images on my screen?
And there they are on stage
Singing
“No More” and “It Takes Two”
Kim Crosby appears
“On the Steps of the Palace”
Still as bright and clear as 26 years ago
The prince arrives,
Robert Westenberg
Cinderella’s real-life love
“Hello Little Girl”
Wonderfully humorous
Danielle Ferland
Little Red Riding Hood
All grown up and wearing a red dress
“I Know Things Now”
Ben Wright
Also grown, now a father of four
Nails “Giants in the Sky”
We hear behind the scenes stories
And audition anecdotes
Joanna Gleason talks of walking into the room
She hadn’t been on Broadway in 10 years
She had one song with her, a ballad
There was Lapine. And there was “Zeus.”
They asked if she had an uptempo number
She offered to sing the ballad faster.
Act 1 closes with
“Any Moment” and
“Moment in the Woods”
Mo Rocca warns us it will all fall apart in the second act
Laughter. Lights up.
The audience chatters loudly.
Act 2 opens with
Bernadette Peters
She has not aged a single bit
Perhaps she really did drink a magic potion
But she hasn’t lost her powers
The rap, complete with witch’s prosthetic nose, is
Perfect
Through
“Stay With Me”
We are captivated
And not going anywhere
You can hear a pin drop
But for the piano and
Bernadette’s voice
She is utterly, utterly divine
More banter
Sondheim is (it seems almost redundant to say it, because, OBVIOUSLY he is)
Incredibly articulate
And funny
The camaraderie of the cast
Warmth and love
Appreciation that they were a part of this magical creation
I wonder if this all would have been possible if they had never filmed the original production?
Listen up musical producers! Film your shows and give them a life time well beyond the original run!
“Your Fault/Last Midnight”
Bernadette’s final note is astonishing
“Children Will Listen”
I know I’m not the only one crying
The finale.
Another standing ovation
What an extraordinary event
So special to see these wonderful people gathered
In celebration of art
And music
And story-telling
The joy of nostalgia
The wonder of my childhood being accessible
And on my doorstep
I love being in New York
And living a life
Made of these moments.
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